Producer gas engine apparatus



April 10, 1934. J. P. IMBERT PRODUCER GAS ENGINE APPARATUS Filed March24, 1930 INVENTOR. TEA N F? [Ma 5 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to producer gas apparatus as used for anypurpose, and particularly to such apparatus adapted for installing on anautomobile or in connection with any other device wherein an internalcombustion engine is supplied with fuel gas generated by a gas producerwhich responds automatically to the requirements of the engine, such forinstance as the French type of producer gas automobile using what isknown as the Imbert gasogen, which principally uses wood for fuel.

In the type of apparatus mentioned, the producer gas generator is of thereverse or downdraft type actuated by suction of the engine so that airand the gaseous products of the fuel are drawn through the fire zone andthe producer gas production is proportionate to the requirements of theengine.

In apparatus as outlined a certain amount of air is admitted to thegenerator combustion chamber and is usually regulated to maintain asubnormal pressure or low vacuum. The apparatus operates satisfactorilyon various fuels such as wood, corn-cobs, peat, and other cellulosematerial if in ordinary dry condition containing preferably below 25% ofuncombined water, but when the free moisture exceeds this amount, as itdoes in green woods where the free moisture runs all the way to as highas 60%, the apparatus functions erratically or ceases entirely owing tothe excessive evolution of steam which in the reverse or down draftapparatus draws the steam through the glowing coals and lowers thetemperature of the fire zone on which the generation of the producer gasdepends. 7 Briefly described my invention comprises providing means fordrawing out the surplus steam from the upper portion of the fuel spaceto maintain the proper subnormal pressure and avoid passing anexcessively large amount of steam through the heat zone with consequentchilling of the same, it being understood that a certain amount of steamshould be drawn through the hot coal bed of the generator fordissociation in forming. together with the cracked products of wooddistillation the fixed fuel gas, as well as enough for condensing intowater for washing the gas, all apart from the present invention.

To carry out the object of the invention as above outlined I may providean exhaust apparatus driven by the power of the engine for drawing outthe excess steam, or I may drive a blower with the engine to create anair aspirator stream, but I preferably use the engine exhaust gases asan ejector working in a passage directly communicating with the steamspace of the gas producer.

The relation of apparatus units for carrying out my improvement is shownin the accompanying drawing in which:-

Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section, of the apparatus units bearingon the invention and showing the exhaust gas excess steam ejectorcreating a suction in a pipe from the upper part of the generator.

Fig. 2 shows a modification in which the exhaust gases are used to spina wheel directly connected to an exhaust fan working in the mouth of thesteam exhaust pipe} Fig. 3 is another modification in which an air pumpis operated from the power of the engine and its air stream used tooperate the ejector for withdrawing the steam.

In further detail the drawing shows at 1 the producer gas generator, 2the wood fuel, 3 the heat zone, 4 air intake, 5 producer gas outletleading to condensers and washers not shown and from which the purifiedgas is conducted through pipe 6 to the engine intake manifold '7 undercontrol of throttle valve 8 and after passing through a suitable airmixer indicated at 9.

After explosion in the engine 10 the'burnt gases from manifold 11 passout of exhaust pipe 12 which is formed into an ejector nozzle at 13 in achamber 14 communicating with a pipe 15 extending from the upper orsteam space of the generator and controlled by a valve 16.

With valve 16 closed there will be no ejector effect, and when the steampressure is excessive in the generator as shown by the fall of thevacuum on gage 17 the valve 16 may be manually opened until the propervacuum (from 2 to 6" of water) is again established in the generator. Itis of course evident that valve 16 may be any type of automatic reliefvalve set to open at the proper pressure if desired. 5 I

The ejector functions as a muffler to a certain extent though anadditional mufller may precede the ejector if desired, the importantfeature being to preserve suflicient energy and speed of the exhaustgases to create asuction at least tothe degree required, and which ofcourse varies with the design of generator and fuel used.

In Fig. 2 the engine exhaust pipe is shown at 12' provided withan offset18 housing a turbine or vaned wheel 19 over oneside of which the exhaustgases pass causing it to rotate at high mouth 21 of steam exhaust pipe15f. In this construction the steam drawn off does not mix with theengine exhaust.

In Fig. 3 the steam is exhausted from pipe 15" by means of an air jetfrom a blower or high speed air compressor 22 operated by any suitableshaft as at 23 delivering power from the engine. The air delivery pipeof the blower is formed into an ejector nozzle 13' functioning similarlyto the one described for Fig; 1 except that the exhaustion of the steamis independent of any mufiling effect on the engine exhaust gases.

With the above arrangement on automotive engines operated with the woodburning so-called Imbert gasogen it is possible to burn freshly cutgreen wood containing as high as 50 or 60% of free water yet deliver agood power gas to the engine, something impossible to attain prior tothis improvement.

The use of the words down-draft in the appended claims embraces any formof gas producer in which producer gas is made by suction, forcing orpassing of the volatilized fuel products, air and steam, through theglowing coals of the heat zone.

I claim:

1. In combination a down draft producer gas generator and an enginesupplied with fuel gas therefrom, means for drawing the producer gasdownward through the heat zone and out to a source of use, a pipeleading from a point within the generator chamber preceding the firezone considered with respect to the direction of flow of fuel gas, andmeans operated by said engine for causing a suction in said pipe forexhausting excess steam from the generator from said point.

2. In combination a down draft producer gas generator and an enginesupplied with fuel gas therefrom, means for drawing the producer gasdownward through the heat zone and out to a source of use, a pipeleading from a point within the generator chamber preceding the firezone considered with respectto the direction of flow of fuel gas, andmeans operated by exhaust gases of said engine for causing a suction insaid pipe for exhausting excess steam from the generator from saidpoint.

3. In combination with a down draft producer gas generator and an enginesupplied with fuel gas therefrom, means for drawing the producer gasdownward through the heat zone and out to a source of use, means forexhausting excess steam from the generator from a point above the firezone comprising an ejector communicating with the steam space of thegenerator and operated by a gas pressure jet created by the engine.

4. In combination a down draft producer gas generator and an enginesupplied with fuel gas therefrom, means for drawing the producer gasdownward through the heat zone' and out to a source of use, means forexhausting excess steam from the generator from a point above the firezone comprising an ejector communicating with the steam space of thegenerator and operated by the exhaust gas of the engine.

5. In combination a down draft producer gas generator and an enginesupplied with fuel gas therefrom, means for drawing the producer gasdownward through the heat zone and out to a source 'of use, means forexhausting excess steam from the generator from a point above the firezone comprising an ejector communicating with the steam space of thegenerator and operated by a gas pressure jet created by the engine, andmeans for controlling the exhaustion of excess steam from saidgenerator.

6. In combination with a downdraft producer gas generator and aninternal combustion engine supplied with fuel gas thereby, a suctionpipe from the engine extending to the producer arranged for causing adown draft of the fuel elements through the heat zone of the generatorand out of said pipe, a steam exhaust pipe from the upper fuel space ofthe generator, and means for creating a suction in said pipe operated bythe engine exhaust. v

'7. In combination with a down draft producer gas generator and aninternal combustion engine supplied with fuel gas thereby, a suctionpipe from the engine extending to the producer arranged for causing adown draft of the fuel elements through the heat zone of the generatorand out of said pipe, a steam exhaust pipe from the upper fuel space ofthe generator, a control valve on said pipe, and a gas-operated ejectorfor creating a suction in said pipe operated by the engine exhaust.

JEAN P. IMBERT.

